It’s a warm Tuesday evening, and I’m weaving through the post-work crowd on Clapham High Street, caught somewhere between excitement and nerves. I’m on my way to my first-ever line dancing class, dressed in comfortable clothes and sensible shoes, and armed with a healthy dose of scepticism.

My curiosity started, oddly enough, in Texas. A visit to the Lone Star State left me with a lingering fascination for all things Western. At first, it was the usual, cowboy hats, boots, oversized belt buckles, the Americana of it all. Then I fell down a TikTok rabbit hole of line dancing videos. I was hooked.

Courtesy of Esohe Ebohon

But there was just one problem, I’m not exactly well-versed in country music. Sure, I love Dolly Parton (who doesn’t?), and I’ll nod along when a Kacey Musgraves track comes on, but beyond that, I’m out of my depth. I’d always assumed line dancing, so closely tied to country music and twangy guitars, was reserved for die-hard fans, which made the whole idea feel, well, a little daunting. Still, I didn’t let it put me off. I pushed past the hesitation, pulled out my phone and searched for line dancing classes in London.

That is how I came across the Cactus Club, an LGBTQ+ line dancing group that meets weekly at one of Clapham’s most iconic gay pubs. From the look of their Instagram, it was exactly what I was looking for. I sent a message and ended up on a call with Peter, who runs the club. He was instantly warm and reassuring, “just come along,” he said. “We teach everything from scratch in the first hour, and no one takes themselves too seriously.” When I asked why he started the line dancing club in the first place, he simply replied, “Why not? If it worked in New York, why wouldn’t it work here?” When he launched the club in 1993, he was not interested in the traditional setup with men dressed as cowboys and women in gingham. Instead, he wanted to create a space where people could walk in off the street, no costume required, dance, and have a good time.

Before the session began, I caught up with Aila and Rachel, who’ve been coming to The Cactus Club for just over a year after a friend brought them along. “It’s fun, completely different from how I typically spend my day,” Aila said, adding that she loves meeting people she wouldn’t usually cross paths with. Rachel laughed, “You’re sweating by the end of the second hour,” but it’s more than just the workout that keeps them coming back. “There are people who’ve been coming for 32 years,” she pointed out. “I feel a little part of that.”